Sorry, the Patricidal Tyrant Seems Beastly - Chapter 38

“The clan of the eastern continent forest greets Your Majesty the Emperor.”

The eastern continent delegation had arrived.

Their attire was white and neat. They wore cyan outer garments with waist sashes, and black sashes embroidered with blade patterns.

The eastern continent was a place where ancient temples and ancient civilizations had flourished.

Forest saplings twisted like vines, concealing ancient temples, and the forest scenery was renowned for its beauty.

“Everyone else withdraw. We will talk just the two of us.”

As the chamberlain led out the eastern attendants, Benjamin, resting his chin on his hand, spoke.

“It’s been a while.”

“Five years since diplomatic relations were severed?”

Previously there had been occasional exchanges, but for the past five years, communication had ceased due to internal strife.

“How was your journey to the Empire?”

“We were quite worn out due to the monster kraken.”

“Did you come via the Poputa route? There are ports where monster subjugation has been completed, it would have been easier to come that way.”

Poputa was a border route.

“That’s the closest way. Other routes take about two more days to go around, so we chose the faster path.”

Tatante muttered with disgust. ‘The clan that supposedly eats monster kraken as octopus skewers was scarier.’

“The Poputa port is also in a dangerous monster alert zone, wasn’t that too careless?”

“We already know the Empire regularly dispatches monster subjugation units, so it’s not particularly dangerous even if it’s an alert zone.”

The alert zone was the ‘gap’ connecting monster and human territories.

When black magic was driven out by the ancient covenant, monsters were also driven underground.

This was the covenant with the ancient gods and their shackles.

Monsters were only allowed underground and in parts of the alert zone. The surface was taboo.

“Also, security in the alert zone was increased to match the delegation procession.”

Benjamin chuckled.

“I welcome the entire eastern continent delegation.”

“How formal. It’s not entirely cordial for a reunion after five years.”

“We were never close enough for reunion greetings in the first place, were we?”

Tatante felt an unfamiliar sense of estrangement from his friend of five years ago.

“The long journey must have been arduous. I’ve instructed the attendants to prepare comfortable quarters, so follow the chamberlain.”

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“He wasn’t a warm personality, but he’s become even colder than before.”

An attendant from the eastern Taran country tended to Tatante’s personal needs.

“He was cold to begin with. Harsh to the point of exuding frostiness. He didn’t even know how to keep people close before, has he changed a bit? He’s gotten married after all.”

“Strictly speaking, he had many people around him. It’s just that you, Tante, weren’t among them.”

“I thought I was close to that guy, isn’t this too much?”

He had believed they were quite close friends, maintaining occasional ties during monster hunting seasons.

“He’s too harsh with me.”

“Tante, you’re outside. Mind your words.”

Tatante waved his arm half-heartedly, dismissing the attendant.

“No one’s listening.”

“Please be careful with your unseemly behavior. We’re outside. This place is different from Taran. Do you see those imperial attendants over there? They are all the eyes and ears of the imperial family. Please remember that any misstep could reach the ears of the imperial family. Small Taran.”

‘Taran’ referred to the forest clan. The ancient people who inherited the ancient civilization and built their lives on that foundation were called Taran.

“This place is now the domain of the imperial family.”

It’s different from the time when he might have been deposed soon.

Also, having been deposed and regaining the throne through internal strife,

The imperial power is on a different track from previous emperors.

The current empire changed course when the previous emperor died and a young emperor ascended the throne.

“You talk too much.”

“There must be no disturbances from this delegation. The King has strongly emphasized…”

Tatante loosened his waist sash and headed towards the northern palace. The interior was already in disarray.

“Aaargh! Aaaaargh! Let go! I said let go!”

Wails echoed from the northern delegation’s palace.

“Go check over there. Disturbances have already started.”

A white tail wagged gently. The soft white fur was beautiful, and the front paws were small and plump.

Such a tiny thing growled like a beast.

The wolf was a cub whose teeth hadn’t even fully grown in.

It was gnawing on people’s heads with its small muzzle,

The attendants, facing the crisis of having their entire heads chewed off, crawled on the floor whimpering.

“Aagh! This thing is pulling out all my hair!”

“It’s fine. It’s still a cub, how much can it hurt when it bites? It’s okay to be gnawed on for a bit. The little one seems to be teething.”

The white ball of fur glared fiercely at the attendants. The attendants retreated, maintaining a certain distance.

“Why is that thing acting like that?”

“I don’t know either. It woke up and its temper became even more ferocious.”

“It’s eating people’s heads like they’re candy, isn’t it? Shouldn’t we pull it off before someone dies from a cracked skull?”

Just as one attendant was about to approach,

“Don’t get close. You’ll get bitten.”

Tatante waved his arm, holding back the attendants.

“Is it in a bad mood because it just woke up?”

As he walked with his hands behind his back, the attendants’ anxious gazes followed.

With each step, his long hair fluttered. The long hair was a glossy black, reaching down to his waist.

His tanned complexion stood out, indicating his royal Taran bloodline.

After taking off the outer garment he had worn to match the delegation’s formality, he looked like a languid lion.

“Wasn’t it just lying down with a bored expression, sleeping all the time? If it’s not because it woke up, is it seasickness?”

“I’m not sure, but its mood suddenly turned very bad.”

“Hmm… That child will stop when it gets tired. Leave it be.”

The wolf, after gnawing on people’s heads for a while, got bored and spat them out.

“The King must have had a deep reason for sending that child to the Empire, right?”

“Well. It doesn’t seem like they had any grand plans either.”

Later that evening, the furball suddenly disappeared.

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Charlotte looked down from the reception room window.

−Kyaang.

It sounded similar to a young beast’s cry.

“…A puppy?”

“It seems to be a wolf, Your Majesty.”

Charlotte pressed her eyelids firmly.

As she rubbed her strained eyes several times, the wolf cub cried ‘kyaang’.

It had beautiful white fur. It howled like a beast with its neck stretched out, but its size was only as big as a fist, being a cub.

‘Kyaang!’

The maids looked around in bewilderment.

“Oh, oh? Where did that one come in from?”

“It’s so small.”

“My, it’s too small even for small. Look at that white fur. Not a speck of dust on it. Seeing how well-cared for it is, it seems to have come with the delegation.”

The white ball of fur jumped down from the windowsill and walked into the reception room.

“Is it a wolf?”

“Yes. It seems to be a wolf cub. I remember they brought a wolf familiar from the eastern continent this time.”

“Then it must have slipped out alone from the delegation’s quarters.”

“Yes. The little one came quite far. Oh my. Its feet are a mess with dirt. Your Majesty, shall we chase it out?”

Charlotte looked down at the chessboard intently as she answered.

“There might be people looking for it. Go check outside.”

Its white fur was beautiful and translucent. Its clean appearance showed it had been handled by people a lot.

Charlotte leaned her arm on the windowsill and looked down at the wolf obliquely.

‘Kyuung.’

The wolf bit the hem of her dress with its teeth and pulled.

“Y-Your Majesty!”

“Leave it. It seems to be teething.”

The wolf rolled backwards, landing on its bottom.

“Your Majesty. I asked outside and they said one of the cub familiars brought as a goodwill gift has left its place. It seems to be this one.”

When Charlotte picked it up, the creature with its tail curled round snuggled into her arms.

“Its eyes are blue too.”

“It seems to be of a precious lineage.”

When Charlotte stroked its chin, it showed its belly. The white fur was fluffy.

It licked her delicate fingers, its not yet fully grown teeth tickling her fingertips.

“That’s enough.”

The wolf closed its mouth.

“It wags its tail gently as if docile, but it doesn’t seem to be entirely tame.”

When Charlotte tapped its nose, it grabbed her nose with its front paws and fluttered.

“It’s purring, about to fall asleep soon.”

As she finished speaking,

The creature curled up into a ball and fell asleep. It had been thumping her arm with its tail, but quickly curled up.

“Let’s go out for a walk.”

“Your clothes are thin, shall I bring something to cover you?”

“Bring a shawl to cover my shoulders.”

“Please wait a moment.”

When she covered it with a white shawl, the little one was enveloped. The head maid secured the shawl with a brooch.

Charlotte stroked it with a straight hand. The soft fur felt good to touch.

“I’ll send someone to the northern palace.”

“It’s alright. They’re probably already on their way.”

As she said,

Far in the distance, the eastern continent delegation approached.

“Hiiik…!”

Their expression was a bit strange.

“Why do they look like that?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s just that we’ve never seen it behave so tamely with strangers before.”

The delegation attendants huddled amongst themselves.

“It’s asleep, so move it carefully.”

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With the delegation settled in the northern palace,

Charlotte visited the riding grounds hill for a walk.

“What kind of place are the ancient temples of the eastern continent?”

“Not much is known in detail, they’re closed now, and all that’s known is that they were the source of the old civilization. The beginning of civilization’s roots, where that civilization took hold, and traces of its most brilliant past.”

“Why did they close such temples?”

The head maid asked, seemingly not understanding.

“The closure was also part of the ancient covenant, so they probably just retained the old symbolism after that. If that was our ancestors’ will. It’s not an area for us to discuss.”

With the ancient covenant, monsters and black magic were driven underground,

The covenant also placed restrictions on temples, and the old gods lost most of their divine power.

“That’s quite a vague story.”

“The ancient covenant is that kind of realm.”

Charlotte stopped walking.

“This child again…”

Charlotte looked down at her feet.

‘Kyuung!’

She narrowed her eyes.

It was a white fluffy wolf cub.

“Didn’t I send you back?”

“The eastern continent delegation took it back, but it seems to have snuck out again.”

“The attendants’ expressions were strange, so you’ve been troubling them.”

Charlotte stroked the wolf.

The wolf licked her fingers, nibbling.

‘Kyuung.’

The white furball scratched with its front paws, asking to be held.

“Is the floor still cold for a cub?”

“It seems like a child whining not wanting to be alone.”

“Its white fur might make it look even more childlike.”

When she hugged it to her chest, a warm sensation rose. The whimpering child burrowed into her arm.

Charlotte exhaled a dry breath.

“…It’s cold.”

As she furrowed her brow, another droplet fell on her forehead.

“Raindrops are falling. I’ll bring an umbrella. Please take shelter under the tree for a moment.”

The head maid left to fetch something to use.

As Charlotte sighed while taking shelter from the rain,

Raindrops clinging to leaves seeped into the dirt ground.

Todok. Tododok.

Everything seemed muffled by the sound of rain, and surroundings fell silent.

The ground below gradually rumbled. It was too strange to be just rain.

“A shadow?”

“Pardon?”

“It looks like a shadow is moving over there.”

A deep shadow fell across the path ahead.

Even the sunset had faded now.

The shadow undulated like spilled ink.

“Catarina.”

At her command, those who had been hiding gradually revealed their presence.

“…It’s coming from the northern delegation palace. Something’s coming.”

Charlotte narrowed her eyes as she looked back at the shaded path.